Clothespin carrier assembly



Filed July 14. 1958 United States 2,939,588 V H CLOTHESPIN CARRIER ASSEMBLY George s. Nalle, in, 10s W. and s Austin, Tex.

Filed July 14, 1958, Ser. No. 748,207

8 Claims. or. 211-113 I i This invention relates to clothespin carrier assemblies designed particularly to support articles of clothing while drying or while being sprayed with different Compounds such as mothproofiing solutions, etc.

One of the objects of the invention is. to provide a clothespin carrier assembly which is made almost entirely of plastics, so that it may be cleaned readily, will not rust, is not attacked by acids or otherchemicals likely to be used, is diflicult to break, is light in weight, and is of an attractive appearance arising in part from its unusual design and in part from its bright color or colors.

Another object is to provide a carrier assembly which is self-balancing, so that it may suspend articles of clothing in spaced vertical planes or areas, permitting the 'air to reach and flow between such suspended articles, thus causing rapid drying- Another object is to provide a carrier assembly for clothespins having a unique locking means for the clothespins permitting manual removal and assembly of the pins and positively preventing the pins from dropping off the assembly, which might cause them to be lost.

A further object is to provide an easily disassembled and assembled carrier for articles of clothing and. other lightweight objects, permitting the user to pack the carrier when disassembled in a small space for transporting it and yet set it up for use in a bathroom or elsewhere- This feature, plus its light weight, is of importance when shipping large quantities of the article to wholesalers and distributors in different parts of the country.

Another object is to provide an assembly of the type mentioned which is so made that all the clothespins may be operated individually to grip and release the articles of clothing etc. without afiecting the locking grip which holds the several pins in place.

Other objects will be understood from the following description of a preferred embodiment of the invention which is shown in the accompanying drawings illustrating said embodiment.

In said drawings:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the assembly;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary plan view of the body of the carrier, showing one of the several apertures provided therein for clothespins;

Fig. 3 is a side elevation;

Fig. 4 is a vertical section on line 4-4 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 5 is a cross section on line 5-5 of Fig. 1.

The preferred form of carrier assembly selected for illustration comprises a body, a plurality of clothespins removably interlocked with the body, and hook integral with one of the clothespins and providing means by which the assembly may be supported from a horizontal rod, bracket, hook or other elevated support.

Referring particularly to the drawings, the preferred body is an elongated generally planar sheet of a plastic such as polyethylene. Preferably the body is flexible to minimize breakage, but at the same time it is sufiiciently stiff to support its loads. To this end it may have a marginal strengthening head 11 extending entirely around 2,939,588 Patented June 7, 1960 it and several integral ribs 12 which enhance its appearance, besides stiffening it. Instead of being elongated, with rounded ends, as illustrated, body 10 may be a circular or oval sheet or it may have any other shape which does not detract from its usefulness.

In the exact center of the body, hence spaced equal distances from its ends, is an aperture or opening-13. Other openings 14 and 15 are on either side of the central opening -13, being spaced equal distances therefrom, and all the openings extend from top to bottom of the body. The body need not be made like a sheet, as illustrated, and may be very much longer and have five or more openings; always, however, there will be acentral opening and symmetrically disposed openings on each side of the central opening. The openings have clothespinlocking means in the form of a pair of locking lugs integral with the body 10., Central opening 13 has lugs 16, 17 aligned with each other and extending from opposite sides of the opening; the other openings 14, 15 have lugs 18, 19 likewise aligned and disposed. The free ends of each pair of lugs are spaced apart, are resilient and are readily flexed to permit automatic locking of the clothespins when thrust through the opening.

At the center of the carrier, a plastic clothespin 20 is mounted by being passed through opening 13 and locked.

- Clothespin 20 comprises two plastic jaws 21, 22 which may be of polystyrene, and a rustproof metal coil spring 23 urging the jaws together. Spring 23 is conventional, havinga coil open end to end. One of the jaws 21 has an' integral extension projecting upwardly and formed into a hook 24. Clothespin 20 is held at right angles to the general plane of body 10by the engagement of the pin with the sides of the opening and theproje'ction of the locking lugs into theends of the spring coil. This is clearly shown in Fig. 4.

Each ofthe other openings 14, '15 (and asmany more as may be provided) receives a plastic clothespin 30, which is identical toclothespin 20 except that no hook extension 24j is provided, .the two jaws and handles of each pin being identical. Pins 30 have coil springsfexactly like coil spring 23. The lugs or tongues 18, 19 provided in each opening 14, 15 resiliently and yieldingly lock the pins 30 in the same way that lugs 16, 17 lock pin 20. When the pins 20, 30 are locked on the body 10, they may be opened individually to permit their jaws to grip an article to be suspended from the assembly.

The described carrier assembly weighs only about 1% ounces, yet it is strong, durable and practically unbreakable; it withstands the weather, many chemicals and other deleterious influences, is easily taken apart and put together, and may be suspended from almost any support to carry light articles of clothing etc. while such.

ments, hotels, motels and other cramped quarters; andif made of a suitable size, may be useful to dry cleaners and furriers, who often suspend articles of clothing while being sprayed.

What I claim is: V

1. An assembly for supporting light articles of clothing while drying comprising a flexible plastic generally planar body having a plurality of openings extending from top to bottom; the plastic body having pairs of flexible lugs integral therewith, one pair to each of said openings, the lugs extending toward each other from opposite sides of the respective openings but spaced from each other at their free ends; and a plurality of plastic clothespins locked on said plastic body at right angles to the general plane of said body, said clothespins each having a metal coil spring and a pair of jaws normally closed by said spring, the coil of the spring being open end to end; eachpairofsaid flexible lugs-enteringthe opposite ends of the coil spring of a clothespin to yieldingly lockthe clothespin to the body and hold the clothespin-in said right-angular positiorn 2; The invention defined in claim 1, wherein the openings include a central opening and'aiplu'rality-ofi openingsso spacedfrom the central= opening as to' make a symmetrical pattern; the clothespin that is held in the central opcning-having'a hook integral-with onesja-w and upstanding therefrom to provide-a means by whichthe entire assembly may be hung from an elevated support, and when; so hung'will normally be balanced.

3. An assembly comprising, in combination, arelatively thin plastic sheet; said sheet being' generally-planar and having aplurality of openings extending theretbrough from top to bottom; a pair of flexibleloc'king lugs integral with the sheet and extending-toward each other from opposite sides of each of said-openings, the free ends of the pair of lugs being however spaced apart; clothespinseach having a laterally extending opena ing, said clothespins being thrustrespectively through the several openings in said-sheet; each. pair of lugs interlockingwith one of said clothespins" by -enteringsaid laterally extending openings from opposite sides-of the clothespin to hold the clothespin locked to said sheetin a position generally at right angles to theplane of said sheet, but the clothespin being manually removable from said sheet.

4. The invention defined in claim 3, whereinthe clothespins are of thetype havingtwo jaws closed bya central spring coil, which coil is open endto end, said lugs entering the open opposite ends'of'the-coils-thereby locking the clothespins but yielding to a; pulhonthe clothespins torelease the clothespins from; the sheet.--

5. An assembly comprising, in combination, a relatively thin plastic sheetw-hich is generally planar and has an opening extending therethrough from toptobottom; a pair of flexible locking lugs integral withfthe sheet and being aligned buthaving their free'ends spaced apart, said pair of lugs-extending fromopposite sides of said openi g; a clothespin supported'in; said opening generally at right angles to the plane ofthesheetysaid locking lugs entering an opening in said clothespin from,

opposite sides and yieldingly locking the clothespin on the-sheet.

6. The invention defined in claim 5, wherein the sheet has at least three openings including an opening at the center of the sheet and at least two other openings, one on each side of the center, equally spaced from the center; there being a pair of locking lugs for each of said openings; clothespins'beinglocked in each of said openings by saidflexible lugs; the central clothespin having an integral upstanding hook by which the entire assembly maybe supported, balanced from said hook.

7. An assembly'of the character described comprising, in combination, a supporting sheet made from a plastic and formed to be symmetrical relative to its center; said center being provided with an opening extending through the sheet; the sheet having a plurality of like openings arranged symmetrically about the center; each of said openings having a pair of flexible locking lugs projecting into it from oppositewedges, said locking lugs being integral with the support and being spaced apart at-their free ends; a plurality of clothespinseach having a laterally extending openingand each beingthrust through one of said sheet'openings and locked therein by direct engagement of said pair of lugs with the laterally extending openings of the respective clothespin; the clothespin locked in the central opening having a hook integral therewith and upstanding therefrom so that-the entire assembly may behung balanced from said hook.

8. The invention defined inclaim 7, wherein. the clothespins areof the type having-twojaws closed by a central spring coil, which coil is open in its center, each pair of lugsentering the open-opposite ends-ofeach coil thereby-locking the clothespin to the supporting sheet but yielding to a pull on the clothespinto releasev it.

References Cited in the file of. this patentv UNITED STATES PATENTS,

D. 110,544 Nalle Oct. 6, a

2,273,933: Campbell Feb.- 24, 1942 2,279,760 Pease Apr. 14, 1942 2,580,193 Richterkessing Dec. 25', 1951 2,598,614 Gilbert May- 27, 1952 

